It took a few more adventures before the Doctor finally warmed up to Jack. After Shanquis, they went to the Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey Combined Shows that debuted in New York City in 1919. They ran into a group of Rutans disguised as circus members and had to stop their plan to use Earth as a new battle ground for their war with the Sontarans. After that, they landed on Kataa Floko, a tropical paradise world with diamond coral reefs. It was beautiful, until the native piranha-like leeches in the lagoon attacked Jack and Rose while they were swimming. And then, there was that trouble with a stolen artifact from the Museum of the Muses on Justicia.
In the end, the Doctor began to get used to Jack, he'd even come to like the man. They had come to a silent agreement; Rose was priority. She was clearly fond of Jack, so the Doctor put his jealousy aside for her. Not to mention how he clearly cared for her, as well. Jack was always ready to protect them both from any incoming danger, especially Rose. The Doctor respected that, replacing his initial distrust.
Jack had even gotten comfortable enough with the Doctor to joke and flirt with him like he did Rose. The Doctor would snark and sass back good-heartedly, warming Rose's heart at their bromance. She'd never felt more at home than watching the Doctor and Jack jokingly bicker back and forth in the console room. She would sit back in the jump seat and watch them fondly, but that small part of her brain reminded her it wouldn't last.
Jack had been with them almost a month now, meaning, they would be at the Game Station very soon. She feared she would never see him again. She feared even more the inevitability that she would never see this Doctor again. She loved her pinstripe Doctor and his great hair, hell, she would love any and every form the Doctor was in, but that didn't mean she wouldn't miss her leather-wearing, big-eared Doctor. Her first Doctor.
When the Doctor told them that they needed to make a small pit stop in Cardiff to energize the TARDIS, Rose felt her heart sink a little. They were one step closer to Bad Wolf. Her heart sank lower when she thought of last time. Mickey.
She didn't want to lead him on this time, she was determined not to hurt him. He deserved so much better than that. That being said, she wanted to see him. He was her best mate; she couldn't help but miss him. This time, when she called him, she didn't tell him to get her passport. She invited him to come meet Jack, who he was less than thrilled to meet, and visit her and the Doctor before they were off again. He agreed.
An hour later, they landed and the Doctor and Jack got right to working on the TARDIS together. It wasn't long after landing that there was a knock on the door. Rose started making her way to the double doors, but Jack, with a smirk on his face, dropped what he was doing and beat her to it.
"Who the hell are you?" Jack asked in a very serious tone that made Rose giggle.
"Wotcha mean who the hell am I? Who the hell are you?" Came Mickey's offended voice.
"Captian Jack Harkness. Whatever you're selling, we're not buying."
"Jack!" Rose chided, still giggling.
"Get outta my way." Mickey said, pushing past Jack into the console room.
"So, this must be Mickey." Jack continued to tease.
"Here comes trouble." The Doctor called down from the scaffolding, getting in on the fun. "How you doin' Ricky Boy?"
"It's Mickey."
"Don't listen to 'em, their winding you up." Rose said to Mickey, who immediately softened.
"You look fantastic." Mickey said smiling. The hugged and Rose got the feeling this might not be as easy as she hoped.
"Awe, sweet." Came Jack's voice. "Look at these two! How come I never get any of that?"
"Buy me a drink first." The Doctor deadpanned.
"Such hard work."
"But worth it."
"So, how ya been? How's mum?" Rose asked Mickey as they parted.
"She's good and all, worried sick bout you every day, but tha's the new normal."
"I gotta call her soon, maybe while I'm here."
"She'd love that. So, wot ya doin' in Cardiff? And who the hell's Jumping Jack Flash? I mean, I don't mind you hangin' out with Big Ears up there."
"Oi!" The Doctor called out, offended.
"Look in the mirror." Mickey snapped back. "But, this guy, I dunno, he's kinda…"
"Handsome?" Jack put in suggestively.
"More like cheesy." Mickey finished.
"Early 21st century slang. Is cheesy good or bad?"
"It's bad."
"But bad means good, is that right?"
"Are you sayin I'm not handsome?" The Doctor asked, coming down to Rose and Mickey.
"Oh, hush you two." Rose laughed. "We've just stopped off, we need to refuel. The thing is, Cardiff's got this rift running through the middle of the city. It's invisible, but it's like an earthquake fault between different dimensions."
"The rift was healed back in 1890…" The Doctor continued with Rose.
"Thanks to a brave girl named Gwyneth, because these creatures called the Gelth were using the rift as a gateway, but she saved the world and closed it."
"But closing a rift always leaves a scar," Jack said, coming to Rose's other side. "and that scar generates energy, harmless to the human race…"
"But perfect for the TARDIS." Came the Doctor. "Just park her here for a couple of days, right on top of the scar and…"
"Open up the engines, soak up the radiation…" Said Jack.
"Like filling her up with petrol and off we go!" Rose concluded.
"Into time!" Jack exclaimed.
"And space!" They all said, and laughed.
"My God, have you seen yourselves? You all think you're so clever, don't you?"
"Yeah." Replied the Doctor.
"Yeah." Rose repeated.
"Yup." Jack said, rounding it out and tapping Mickey on the face, much to his annoyance.
"Should take another 24 hours, which means we've got time to kill." The Doctor explained as he nudged the group of out of the TARDIS and into the square.
"That old lady's starring at us." Mickey pointed out.
"Probably wondering what four people could be doing inside a small wooden box." Jack joked.
"Wot are you captain of?" Mickey asked as the Doctor and Rose laughed. "The Innuendo Squad?"
Jack just rolled his eyes and made a whatever sign with his fingers. Rose and the Doctor linked arms and started making their way down the street.
"Wait!" Mickey called to them. "The TARDIS, you can't just leave it, doesn't it get noticed?"
"Yeah," Jack commented. "what's with the Police Box? Why does it look like that?"
"It's the Chameleon Circuit, a cloaking device." Rose answered, stroking the side of the TARDIS lovingly.
"The TARDIS is meant to disguise itself wherever it lands." The Doctor said, now leaning against the other side of the box. "Like, if this was ancient Rome, it'd be a statue or a plinth or something. But I landed in the 1960's, it disguised itself as a Police Box, and the circuit got stuck."
"So, it copied a real thing? There actually was Police Boxes?" Mickey asked.
"Yeah, on street corners. Phone for help before they had radios and mobiles. If they arrested somebody, they could shove them inside 'til help came. Like a little prison cell."
"Why don't you just fix the circuit?" Jack asked.
"I like it, don't you?" The Doctor asked rhetorically, looking slightly offended.
"I love it." Rose pipped up, earning an approving nod and smile from the Doctor.
"But that's what I meant, there's no Police Boxes anymore, so doesn't it get noticed?" Mickey pointed out.
"Rickey," The Doctor started.
"It's Mickey and y'know it." Mickey interrupted.
"Let me tell you a little something about the human race." The Doctor continued, moving closer to Mickey. "You put a mysterious blue box slap-bang in the middle of town, what do they do?" Mickey was about to answer when the Doctor continued. "Walk past it. Now, stop your nagging, let's go and explore."
"So, wot's the plan?" Rose asked the Doctor as they linked arms again and continue walking on.
"I dunno. Cardiff, early 21st century, the wind's coming from the…east. Trust me, safest place in the universe."
"Well, now you've jinxed it." Rose teased. She knew there wasn't much she could do to change what would come next, so she held on to the Doctor and walked with the group to the nearest café before all hell would break loose.